Flooring - Don't slip up on safety01 August 2005

Slips and trips cost British industry millions of pounds a year, can result in expensive legal actions and, most significantly, can inflict great physical and mental pain on the injured party.

The Health and Safety Executive cites slips and trips as being the most common cause of accidents at work. With this in mind, attention clearly needs to be paid to the floor to make the working environment safer and less likely to cause accidents.
High levels of slip resistance can be achieved by using synthetic resin flooring and it is vital that sufficient consideration is given to what the floor will be used for so that safer floors are successfully specified.

Ultimately, a floor should be purpose-designed to meet its service needs. Clients' specific requirements are the major drivers when choosing an effective and fit-for-purpose flooring system.

Slip resistance is an important aspect to consider when selecting a floor - along with factors such as cleanability, chemical resistance, the amount of foot and wheeled traffic it will be subjected to, and any anti-static considerations.

A correctly specified resin system can provide up to 20 years' longevity - although, under the influence of economic choice, between seven and ten years may be more typical.
However, seven to ten years with a floor that looks good and is durable, but possesses a substantial risk of causing slips and trips, is not a good investment. Fortunately, modern flooring technology enables a workable solution to be achieved within the industrial sector.

Wet and Dry Areas

One of the most important places to consider with regard to slip resistance are wet areas - often associated with working environments including food processing areas and bottling plants.

The HSE states that most slip injuries happen on wet floors and great care needs to be taken to reduce the risk of accident in these environments.

Generally speaking, enhanced slip resistance is achieved in floors by the introduction of a coarser texture, created by aggregates incorporated within the system.
Dry areas often have a lower requirement for slip resistance than wet areas and therefore smoother surface finishes can be used. The slip resistance of smooth finishes under dry conditions is generally excellent, but can depend on the type of footwear and dry surface contamination.

As well as the flooring system itself, attention can be paid to work footwear, uneven surfaces and changes in levels, lighting and good housekeeping to reduce slips and trips.

Cleanability

Cleanability is an important factor, particularly in industries such as food processing, which due to their nature, are likely to have wet areas and so need special attention. Different resin systems can tolerate different cleaning regimes. For example, thick polyurethane screeds and vinyl ester resins can withstand steam cleaning, but not all types of resins and coating have this ability. It is important that a floor can withstand a level of cleaning sufficient for the working environment, to prevent a build-up of grease or other surface materials that are likely to cause a slip hazard.

Furthermore, with greater levels of slip-resistance texture necessary to ensure a higher slip resistance, this can have an effect on cleanability and the two factors need to be considered carefully as part of the specification process to ensure a floor is going to be fit for purpose.

FeRFA, the Resin Flooring Association, produces a comprehensive guide - entitled Minimising Slips In The Workplace With The Use Of Industrial Resin Floors. (This is available at www.ferfa.org.uk)

The guide covers subjects such as the measurement of coefficient of friction, levels of slip resistance, importance of contaminant viscosity, surface regularity and regular cleaning procedures.

It emphasises the need for pre-planning at the design stage to evaluate the use of the floor - outlining the criteria listed below as factors for consideration before proceeding with the design of the floor to ensure the causes of slips are minimised.

- Type and concentration of spillage
- Free draining or flat floor design
- Drainage and sumps to be provided
- Regular cleaning procedures
- Safety footwear.

The HSE also offers a wide range of guidance on the subject.

The Measurement of Slip Resistance
FeRFA says the direct measurement of slip resistance - the dynamic coefficient of friction - is best carried out using the swinging pendulum equipment, originally developed by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL).

FeRFA has produced a table of levels of slip resistance, based on guidance provided by the United Kingdom Slip Resistance Group.

However, in the guide it highlights that no single measure or piece of information can be used to assess a floor, and that all information, instruments, conditions of use and environments should be taken into account before a categorisation or type of floor is specified to be installed.

Manufacturers and specialist contractors who are members of FeRFA can advise on slip resistance, using tools such as the pendulum method, as part of the process of selecting a fit-for-purpose flooring system.

The HSE has introduced a free Slip Assessment Tool (SAT) to help assess floor surfaces and other factors in the workplace.
SAT is a computer software package that allows an operator to assess the slip potential of pedestrian walkway surfaces. This software can be downloaded, free of charge from www.hse.gov.uk/slips.

It needs to be used in conjunction with a portable surface roughness meter, which needs to be obtained by the assessor.

Meters are not provided by the HSE, although information on them can be found at www.hsesat.info/satmeters.htm.
Slips and trips are a massive problem but, by taking into consideration the key factors of a floor's working environment and working with professionals to ensure the right steps are taken, they can be controlled from the ground up.

To ensure the correct specification of a flooring system that is fit for purpose, it is advisable to call a professional flooring manufacturing company and let their technical service department guide you through the correct process of specialist flooring.

SOE

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